Posts Tagged ‘50-50’

After yesterday’s rant-style post about the NHL Lockout, there is actually some REAL progress about the CBA issues that have forced the NHL into this ridiculous situation. So after a month of lockout, the NHL has tabled a sensible offer to the NHLPA. What the NHL has suggested is a straight 50-50 revenue split between the players, which has been the sensible deal when I’ve been talking this through with friends.

However, according to information that has been coming out of the negotiations is that the NHLPA has about ten days to accept the offer and where there is a part of me that wants to say, just accept the damn offer and get the season started, the NHLPA needs to consider a couple of more aspects that are within the offer.

First off, the season would be a full 82 season schedule, which would mean that there would be an additional game every five weeks or so to make up for the lost time. The rumour is that with this offer the season would start on the second of November.

The other bits that have been leaked so far include the status of Unrestricted Free Agents where players would obtain the UFA status at either age 28 or after 8 seasons accrued in the NHL. Additionally, the latest offer would also include AHL players against a teams’ salary cap. So for example Wade Redden’s $6.5mil contract would be counted in full against the Rangers’ cap.

Where the fan in me is screaming at the NHLPA to take the offer and get it the season started I can see that the UFA status would be a bit of a sticking point to the players. Don Fehr has said that the current offer “is an excellent starting point and there’s a deal to be made,” suggesting that there are things in the offer the NHLPA like and some that they don’t like.

Hopefully there won’t be another ridiculous stoppage in the talks while the NHLPA mull over the offer.